Hotel Moskva is a must-see sight in Belgrade, standing out with its unique secession-style façade and rich history. If you’re short on time, simply walk by and take in the beauty of this architectural gem and the area that surrounds it. But if you can, slow down and immerse yourself in the full experience — sit at the hotel’s beautiful café, enjoy a drink, and treat yourself to a slice of the legendary Moskva cake, one of Belgrade’s sweetest icons.
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Location
Hotel Moskva is centrally located, just steps away from Palace Albania in Knez Mihailova, Belgrade’s main pedestrian street. It’s hard to miss when exploring the downtown area. The exact address is Balkanska 1, perfectly positioned on a plateau that offers a skyline view of Novi Beograd across the river.
A Brief History of Hotel Moskva
The distinct façade of Hotel Moskva, crowned with green pointy roof and golden details, reflects the architectural optimism of early 20th-century Europe. The building was originally constructed as the Rossiya Palace, the largest privately owned building in the Kingdom of Serbia.
When it opened in 1908, the Rossiya Palace was personally inaugurated by King Peter I of Serbia, underscoring its national importance. The prominent daily newspaper Politika described it as “the most expensive and the most beautiful Russian house in the Balkans.” Over time, the building became known as Hotel Moskva.
Designed by architect Jovan Ilkić, the palace combined the elegance of Art Nouveau (Secession) with touches of ancient Greek classicism, a daring blend for its time. The design gave Belgrade—then a city of around 70,000 residents—a distinctly modern and cosmopolitan face as it entered a new century of transformation.
The façade is one of its most impressive features, covered with smooth, shiny ceramic tiles in a warm yellow hue, decorated with green ornamental motifs. This attention to detail makes the building stand out among the surrounding structures.
The Must-Try Moskva Cake
By BuhaM – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Belgrade’s legendary Moskva cake was born right here at Hotel Moskva, and it’s really one of my all-time favorite desserts. You have to try it — ideally at the hotel itself for the full experience, but you can also find similar versions in many places around Belgrade. I once bought a fantastic slice for takeaway at a popular bakery in Knez Mihailova Street, but nothing quite compares to enjoying it in the hotel’s elegant café.
Created in 1974 by pastry chef Anica Džepina, this refreshing, fruity dessert features layers of nut-based sponge, sour cherries, pineapple (and often peaches), and a rich vanilla-custard cream. The cake is so popular that Hotel Moskva produces around 20 tons of it each year.
You can find it in London, Vienna, Budapest, Geneva, Rome, and Chicago, but the best way to enjoy it is right where it was created — at Hotel Moskva itself, accompanied by the sound of piano music and a glass of the hotel’s own wine.
Staying at Hotel Moskva
Hotel Moskva is a four-star luxury hotel that’s quite affordable. Considering its prime location and remarkable history, it’s an excellent choice for your stay in Belgrade. The hotel consistently receives great guest feedback, with an average Booking.com rating of 9.
Its central location makes it ideal for exploring Belgrade on foot. From here, you can easily reach major attractions such as Kalemegdan Park, the bohemian quarter Skadarlija, the Temple of Saint Sava, and Republic Square.
Guests enjoy the wellness and spa center, including a sauna, hammam, hot tub, and gym. With its elegant ambiance, excellent facilities, and unbeatable location, Hotel Moskva offers one of the best-value luxury stays in Belgrade.
Check prices and availability for Hotel Moskva on Booking.com. Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. If you book through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support my blog.
Famous Guests
Over the past century, more than 40 million guests have passed through the hotel’s doors, including some of the world’s most renowned personalities. The walls of Hotel Moskva are lined with photographs of these remarkable guests, a visual chronicle of a century filled with art, history, and unforgettable stories
Among the most charming tales is that of Albert Einstein, who, together with his wife Mileva Marić, spent time in the hotel’s garden chatting with locals. Belgraders affectionately called him “the mad scientist,” a nickname that made him laugh every time he heard it.
The legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was captivated by the hotel’s appearance, and in the decades that followed, other great directors such as Roman Polanski, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Miloš Forman also stayed here. Jack Nicholson visited during a film festival in the 1980s, remarking that Serbian films were far more complex than Hollywood productions. Later, Brad Pitt, while filming The Dark Side of the Sun in Belgrade, also stayed at Hotel Moskva and was reportedly enchanted by the city views and Košutnjak Forest. Hollywood stars Robert De Niro, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, and Milla Jovovich, who has Serbian roots, have all been guests as well.
Writers and intellectuals also found inspiration here. Six years after Maxim Gorky, the celebrated British author Rebecca West chose Hotel Moskva as her home in Belgrade and later mentioned it in her acclaimed book Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. She was guided through Yugoslavia by Serbian writer Stanislav Vinaver, and her observations captured the city’s transformation from a rural town to a modern European capital.
Over the decades, Hotel Moskva has also welcomed world leaders and cultural icons such as Richard Nixon, Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Leonid Brezhnev, Luciano Pavarotti, and Patrick Besson, each leaving their mark on the hotel’s remarkable legacy.
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